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This Week - Tuesday

Contemporary GroupCancellation and a Date

Change

Unfortunately we have complica-

tions for this Thursday’s (4th Dec)

meeting and have to cancel.

We shall meet again in the New

Year, however, the first Thursday

falls on  Jan 1st and we think it

advisable to change our date to the

second Thursday, Jan 8th (for this

month only!) thus giving us all time

to enjoy the New Year Festivities to

the full.

We look forward to seeing any 'Fes-

tive Season' images that might fall

in to the Contemporary category!

With apologies,

Tessa and Clive.

Contents● Programme

● CrownGate

● Members’ Items

● Croome Project

● Diary & Invitations

● Around the Web

● Clive’s Wyre Forest Walk

01|DECEMBER|2014|

WCC NEWSWorcestershire Camera Club Editor:w-news@worcscc.uk

Peter Siviter, EFIAP, presents AKind of Magic, an entertaining

evening of prints and AVs.

Gloucester Camera Club hosts the

Three Counties Battle on Tuesday..

Header image by Roger Plant

Club Exhibitions

A reminder that Douglas is still

seeking promises of contributions

for the A Picture for Health exhibi-

tion in the New Year.

If you haven’t exhibited before,

why not consider joining in - it’s in

a very good cause and it’s nice to

be part of what is quite a big exhi-

bition at 2 venues. The major re-

quirement is for cheerful images!

Once you have 'reserved' a place

for your contributions by register-

ing and uploading some images,

you can still change your entries at

any time, so do register now!

All you need to know is on our

exhibition website under Forth-coming Exhibitions. You must sign

in to see this page.  Enter the site

here.

Digital GroupYour Homework!

The next DIG meeting is not until

18th December, but this is give

you plenty of time to get ready for

the evening!

This is our special event to cele-

brate the photography we have

done in the past year. Please

bring up to 10 images each to

share with the rest of the mem-

bers. They should be your favour-ite photographs from 2014,

whatever they might be.

This year you can bring prints,

projected images, a short AV or

perhaps a book. A maximum of 10

in total please, not 10 per section!

For projected images please emailthem to me beforehand - it will

speed things up on the evening. If

not, bring them on the evening.

Make them 1920 x 1080 mini-mum please.

Martin

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Club Exhibitions - CrownGate

A trusty crew turned up early on Friday morning to help Douglas set up the CrownGate exhibition for the

Christmas period. Thanks to Clive Haynes for the photos with apologies to Henry Tomsett who appears to

have been missed off the photocall, but was most definitely there doing his bit!

Roger,Douglas,Pam, John,Clive, Gill,and Ann

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Members’ Items

Cautionary Tales

Bob Tunstall writes to alert us:

Are external drives safe?

We are often advised to back up

our images in case our computers

crash. The most popular method

of doing this is to use an external

hard drive or maybe two, but

where do you place these? One of

my friends kept his on the desk-

top, and this is probably where

most are kept, but the curtain rail

fell off the wall on to his hard

drive! No visible damage was

done but he was not able to ac-

cess his images, so off to the ex-

perts he went. Several hundred

pounds later they managed to

retrieve about 80% of them.

A second friend kept his on top of

his computer tower which was on

a carpeted floor. It fell off - a fall

of about eighteen inches, and

again the images were not re-

trievable, and it cost fifty-five

pounds to be told  his images could

not be retrieved!

I once smashed a hard drive from

an old computer it took a lot of

effort, but a slight knock to one can

be disastrous.

You have been warned…

Commercial

Blurb offers finishing midnight to-

night…

If you missed the email message I

passed on for Clive, don’t forget the

complete Topaz package, some 15

items in all, is on offer at the spe-

cial price of £158.75 (normal price

$429.99) also until midnight to-

night.

The WEEE man at the Eden project: histeeth are computer mice; his ears are satel-lite dishes; and his brain is built fromcomputer parts.

Compact System Cameras

Les Bailey is asking if anyone in

the Club has switched from DSLR

to a CSC of late.  He has a Fuji X

Pro 1, but still uses the DSLR for

anything but lightweight travel.

He has had a recommendation for

the Fuji XT 1 and is going to have

a look at it at the forthcoming

Permajet day, but wonders what

others might have to recommend.

He adds “My Nikon D800 + gear

does tend to weigh me down

when I’m going uphill.  Maybe I

should have two rucksacks – one

for the flat with the Nikon, and

one for uphill with the Fuji...”

I can identify with that!

If you have experience of more

advanced CSCs, please speak to

Les directly or send in your infor-

mation & suggestions to share

via the newsletter.

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Croome Project - December OpportunitiesWe work with the National Trust at Croome Park - find out more and do join in... Here’s a list of pictures wanted and

upcoming events. Contact Pam Turner to volunteer or Becky where listed, and see the website for more information.

Remember you have complimentary access when covering these events. Please have yourclub ID card to hand. Would anyone who still has a Croome memory stick please make surethey are returned!

General wintry pictures – ideas such as cobwebs covered in frost, frost

covered plants, raindrops with reflections in them, frozen puddles, misty

mornings at the lake etc etc…

Christmas market – 6 & 7 December at the RAF.  General shots of the

market and some nice ones of produce, stallholders (looking happy),

serving the public.

Santa’s sleigh & reindeers – this will be located on south side of the court every day fromSaturday 29 November.  Families can climb onto it for their photos – would be nice to get

a picture of a family in it.

Father Christmas in his grotto with a present and special post box to

post Christmas wish lists to the North Pole. Each weekend between 6December and 21 December, 12-3pm.  Call Becky 01905 370005 as she

wants some pictures of her new Santa and may be able to get Santa in

before they officially open to public & take some staged pics.  Also

children visiting Santa too – again needs model release form.

Scaffolding and platform – this is open at weekends (some weekdays

depending on volunteer availability) - pictures from the top looking out

towards the parkland at the great views, grabbing a cuppa at the top (depending if our

catering option is running that day)  and looking out to the views holding their cup.

Images of the traditional storytelling. Children can listen to some festive stories every

Saturday and Sunday between 6 December – 21 December, 12.30pm, and 2.30pm in the

Court.  Either take images of backs of children’s heads otherwise if faces showing then a

signed model release form is needed .

There will be live performances of “A Christmas Encounter” byprofessional actors following servants Mrs Phillips the Cook and Minnie

the Scullery Maid around the house as they prepare for Christmas and

find out about a very special visitor. Performances on Sunday 7, Satur-day 13, Sunday 14 and Sunday 21 December at 11.30am, 1.20pm,

3.15pm. Again need model release forms if visitors’ faces are in it.

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Pictures of the Christmas decorations that adorn the RAF Visitor Centre andalso the Court – the RAF ones are handmade and the Court ones in a Georgian

theme.  Would be nice to get something in the background of some of the

pictures to show where they were taken.

Saturdays, 13 and 20 December. Starting at 3pmThe annual carol concert in Croome’s Church is always popular with enchanting performances by The Hills

Singers followed by a warming festive drink and mince pie in the 1940s style canteen. . Photographer(s) to

let Becky know if they are coming by calling 01905 370005 as space is limited in the church.

Time Explorer game – this is a game that children play which is located in the court (ask a volunteer to point

you in the right direction).  A child playing the game (model release form needed). Available every day except

Tuesdays when house is closed.

Hidden House building blocks – this is the basement of the court and illustrates the hidden house within the

current Croome with giant building blocks.  Would be nice to get pictures of a family dismantling and putting

back together (light is quite poor in this room!).  Available every day except Tuesdays when house is closed.

Scaffolding surrounding the Court – some photos of the street art wrap that covers the scaffolding on the

north side of the house.  Perhaps photo(s) of someone looking up at it.

Birds in the park – we have some colourful model birds made by artists “hidden” around the parkland, would

be nice to get some pics of them, perhaps with visitors looking or pointing at them.  If you ask a volunteer in

the court they should be able to give you a leaflet that explains a bit about them.

Could visiting photographers please make sure they are identifiable by wearing a badge and carrying aclipboard whenever possible.

2015 events are being finalised and we will let you know as soon as we hear so you can plan your diary!

Croome Project - continued

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Exhibitions and Competitions to EnterYou’ve got to be in it to win it!

WWT calendar 2016 is now inviting entries. Club members have a good

track record of success!

Entry form with full details here.

Dates for the Diary / Out and AboutWhat’s on, exhibitions to go and see, photo-opportunities... Send in your events.

Birmingham Museum & Art Galleryto 31st Dec - Interested in Still Life? See the exhibition (print, paint and

sculpture) and send in your own still life photographs for inclusion  on the

screen in the entrance of the Waterhall gallery (ends 31st Dec) post it with

the hashtag #staticstilllife on twitter or @STATIC_STILL_LIFE on instagram

and 2nd December a curator-guided tour - STATIC: Still Life Reconsidered

Friday 30th JanuaryClose and Far: Russian Photography Now. Mead Gallery Talk and TourFriday, 30 January 2015 - 11:00 until 13:00 Booking and details here.

Some London exhibitions in case you are heading capital-wards…

The Photographers' GalleryIconic fashion photography - Steichen & Sassen's Analemma

He wasn't an easy gentleman to describe - Kasia Wozniak (and of coursethe Sherlock Holmes exhibition).

Contemporary GroupInvitation

Stewart would like to invite

members to send in 2 or 3 of

their favourite contemporary

images (competition size is

fine) for a PhotoNews fea-

ture.

Please email to

as soon as possible, latest 8th

December. If a panel rather

than individual images,

please include layout infor-

mation.

Smethwick International

Invitation for all members - 7th December

We really hope that you can pop in and support our Private View of the

Xmas Open Exhibition on Sunday 7th December, 4 – 5.30 at BarbourneHealth Centre. It will be 3 years since our first exhibition and it’s a cause

for celebration. Do please come along to enjoy mulled wine, mince pies and

see the exhibition and do invite colleagues, friends and family along too.

With best wishes,

Sally, Maggie, Nicky and May

A Picture for Health

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Around the Web

More Nick Turpin - Street images and a Street down-

load for you.

Did you see the Beeb’s feature on Witley Court and

other abandoned mansions…?

Enjoy the Society of Biology competition’s wonderful

winners.

A restyling project…

Paris in the 1790s?

Learning to See in Black and White

Did you know...? Black Country cameras!

Create a festive portrait with cheap and cheerful fairy

lights…

Chilling… Send in your frosty pics!

I put together an ad-hoc Betjeman poem photo-

graphic advent calendar last year. Why not try a

seasonal project yourself and send in the link or

photos to share?

Martin sends these useful links to download Lightroom

templates to make your own 2015 calendar. You can also

download psd files to make them in Photoshop if you

don't use Lightroom.

Redphotographic & Aurora-Foto

A Walk in the Wyre Forest: Clive Haynes FRPS

Some of Clive’s

photos from the re-

cent Digi Group

outing. A last taste

of autumn as the

winter sets in…

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Clive Haynes FRPS